At 7:30pm, at the Staatsoper Unter Den Linden:

Joyce diDonato RECITAL

Joyce DiDonato: Mezzo-soprano

Maxim Emelyanychev: Piano

The Winter Journey is without doubt Franz Schubert’s finest collection of Lieder. In 1827, Schubert was thirty years old, but had only a year to live. Intense and dramatic, Winterreise is a work of despair, whose emotions touch the most intimate of human beings. After recording it (with pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin), Joyce DiDonato returns to Schubert for an exceptional recital. The American mezzo’s art of declamation, well-versed in the Baroque repertoire, is at its best here, and she finds an exceptional partner in Maxim Emelyanychev. A deeply moving evening.

At 4pm, at the Staatsoper Unter Den Linden:

PARSIFAL, by R. Wagner

Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Berlin Staatsoper Chorus

Philippe Jordan: Music Director

Dmitri Tcherniakov: Stage Director

Lauri Vasar: Amfortas

René Pape: Gurnemanz

Andreas Schager: Parsifal

Tómas Tómasson: Klingsor

Elīna Garanča: Kundry

Kurt Rydl: Titurel

Johan Krogius: First knight

Manuel Winckhler: Second knight

Parsifal is a monolith in music history. Richard Wagner’s last opera, this “sacred scenic festival” recounts the quest for the Holy Grail with a grandeur tinged with spirituality. Yet in this Berlin production, Dmitri Tcherniakov has chosen to strip the work of all religious decorum. A Parsifal without crosses or Christ, as close to the human as possible: this is the challenge that the great Russian director has taken up and succeeded in achieving. Musically, the vocal cast is full of promise. In the title role, Andreas Schager has all the heroism required. Tómas Tómasson as Klingsor and Lauri Vasar as Amfortas are seductive in their commitment, while René Pape‘s Gurnemanz displays a formidable singing lesson, and Elīna Garanča creates the event as Kundry. In the pit, we are delighted to welcome back Philippe Jordan, former Music Director of the Paris Opéra and a seasoned Wagnerian.

At 6pm, at the Staatsoper Unter Den Linden:

NORMA, by V. Bellini

Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra

Berlin Staatsoper Chorus

Francesco Lanzillotta: Music Director

Vasily Barkhatov: Stage Director

Rachel Willis-Sørensen: Norma

Dmitry Korchak: Pollione

Elmina Hasan: Adalgisa

Riccardo Fassi: Oroveso

Maria Kokareva: Clotilde

Gonzalo Quinchahual: Flavio

Set against a politico-historical backdrop, Bellini’s opera re-enacts the eternal dilemma between public duty and private drama. Norma, a Gallic priestess dedicated to chastity, hides a dark secret: two children born of her love with a Roman proconsul. With such famous arias as Casta Diva and Guerra Guerra, the opera is one of the pinnacles of bel canto. Richard Wagner himself appreciated the work, claiming that Norma painted a fascinating portrait of his heroine’s soul. Right from the opening recitative, Rachel Willis-Sørensen establishes herself as a great interpreter of the lead role. As powerful as she is electric, the American soprano offers a fine psychological portrait, enhanced by velvety piani. Vasily Barkhatov‘s staging gives her a veritable showcase in which to shine.